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LANSING — There isn’t much the two sides of the right-to-work debate agree on today, but they may have found at least one common bond.

You don’t mess with the hot dog guy.

Clint Tarver, owner of Clint’s Hot Dog Cart and Casual Catering, has been serving lunch and a smile at the corner of Michigan and Capitol avenues for five years. But some of his stuff was destroyed during the massive right to work protest Tuesday.

Tarver was hired by Americans for Prosperity -- which supports right-to-work legislation Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law Tuesday -- to serve hot dogs to their supporters inside a tent they erected on the Capitol lawn. Details are still unclear, but the AFP tent was torn down and destroyed around noon.

Tarver and several AFP supporters were inside at the time, he said.

“I was trying to salvage some of my stuff but my friend, he works at the Capitol, he said, ‘Don’t worry about that. You gotta get out of there,’ ” Tarver said. “So, I crawled out of the tent as they cut it. My tables were being spilled and stepped on. It was all just destroyed. I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing and seeing.”

Word began spreading late Tuesday night that downtown Lansing’s favorite hot dog guy had suffered some loss. As word got around, mostly via Facebook and Twitter, people on both sides of the right-to-work debate began rallying behind him.

After seeing a photo of Tarver amid his broken things, one woman decided to take action. Lorilea Zabadal, a staffer for Republican Rep. Al Pscholka, set up an online fund raiser at gofundme.com/SupportClint.

By noon today, nearly $8,000 had been raised through online donations, about $7,500 more than the value of the things he lost.

“I never expected this,” said Zabadal, a vegetarian who has only ever purchased chips and a drink from him. “But I just knew I had to do something. He’s just the friendliest guy. He greets me every time I walk by.”

Tarver said he’s overwhelmed by the support.

“I just feel so blessed,” he said. “I mean, I didn’t know I had touched so many people.”

Americans for Prosperity also plans to reimburse Tarver for his losses, said Annie Patnaude, spokeswoman.

"I supported Clint," said Lt. Governor Brian Calley on Twitter. "He's a great guy and a great small business."